The War
by synps221
Summary: Hello all, This is my take on Pacific Rim, assuming it happened in the Indian ocean instead among other changes. I was inspired by the film, but I tried my best to make it stand out by itself. I write this for my own amusement and no-profit. I own no part of Pacific Rim, (though I wish I did ) :( Constructive criticism is welcome... I try to update once a week. Try.
1. Chapter 0: An Eventful Meeting

"NO! I refuse. I won't let you.", Said the old German man in the lab coat.

"I'm sorry professor, but I have my orders." The curt tone of the dark gentleman in front of him only served to further cement the 'career soldier' opinion the doctor had formed about his unwelcome guest. He didn't like it.

"The project is to be completed and battle ready by this time next week Dr. Weir", he continued, "To have any chance of meeting the council's deadline, we must start the weaponisation process now."

"This is not what I signed up for at all", spat the professor. " I promised you a prototype, and that is exactly what I delivered. It was built as a proof of concept, not for actual combat."

He took a pause to catch his breath. His asthma was getting worse.

"Are you going to just strap guns to my life's work, Marshall?"

The officer leaned across the table, giving the gasping German a good look at his face. A face that had seen the horrors out there, what the Kaiju were capable of.

"If that's what it takes to put these bastards into the ground, then I have no problem doing just that. And if **you** have a problem, I can have you sent back to hell hole in which I found you."

As Dr Weir slumped back into his chair, the Marshall looked out the window, toward the construction bay. Toward the sleeping giant.

"Soon", he mused, "Very Soon".

Between coughs, he heard the professor once again, "This is madness, and we don't have a single pilot yet, let alone two".

Just then, the canopy opened up to welcome the next landing helicopter. This one carried a very special cargo.

"We do now…"


	2. Chapter 1: New Blood

As the domed roof opened up, the helicopter made its descent. "Into the mouth of the Beast we go", thought the pilot. And he wasn't wrong. The building was enormous. He had no idea what they were going to house there, but whatever it was, it was going to be big.

The curious structure in Karwar had been constructed on the direct orders of the Council, with the full backing of the Indian government. This top secret naval base was to be the birthplace of humanity's response to the Kaiju threat. "Now, if they'd only bothered to tell us what exactly that response was".

"Oye! We're here", he announced.

The passengers could see that. "You mind telling us where "here" is, exactly?", asked a voice over his headset. It'd be a few more seconds before the rotors died down and they could speak normally. "I'm not allowed to say, but here comes the Marshall. Maybe he can clear things up for you."

By the time he reached the aircraft, the doors had opened and out came two young men, both in their twenties. One slightly taller than the other, but both possessing the dark hair, darker eyes and rounded cheekbones that announced their relation to all who looked. "Gentlemen", called the officer, "Welcome to the Shatterdome."

* * *

On the elevator ride up toward the barracks, introductions ensued.

"I am Marshall Stacker Pentecost, and this is Dr. Alan Weir, head of Research", continued the well-dressed military man with a smile, whereas all the doctor could manage was a cough and a weak wave.

"A genuine honor the meet you sir, my name is Ajay Sardesai and this is my brother Amit", said the slightly taller of the two, "Though I'm fairly sure you've already read our files."

"Indeed I have, and I must say I'm impressed Mr. Sardesai. Or do you prefer Lt. Sardesai? And your brother, the Petty Officer. The two of you have shown exactly the kind of skills we need here, and boys, you are going to make your country proud."

"Forgive my rudeness sir, but what are we doing here exactly?", interjected the younger brother," Between tensions with Pakistan and the Kaiju using our cities as chew toys, I don't feel we have the time to goof around. Sir."

The Marshall gritted his teeth for a second before reverting to the cool and calm persona he was known for. "Quite right, but tell me, how much do you know about the Kaiju?" Might as well find out how well informed they are.

"Only what we've been told sir", said Ajay" Four attacks in total. Each one in a different coastal city. Total devastation of infrastructure and incalculable loss of life. And that was **before** we nuked them to Kingdome Come."

"Chittagong, Port Blair, Mogadishu and The Maldives have all been reduced to radioactive glass", continued Amit " But what does this have to do with anything?"

"You'll soon find out", smiled the Marshall just as the elevator went "Ding", announcing its arrival at the top floor.

Out they stepped, and made their way to a balcony overlooking a gigantic construction bay. There they saw it.

It was massive. When finished it would stand a hundred meters tall and weigh almost 2500 tons. It's arms alone were enough to put the surrounding buildings to shame and the legs could potentially be used to cross small rivers. The cranes were putting the final plates of armor on the colossal chest and the navy blue paint had just finished drying on the gargantuan head, which would be bolted on later.

Ajay was dumbstruck, while his brother satisfied himself with an impressed whistle.

"Gentlemen, I present to you the Equaliser humanity has been waiting for", said Pentecost " As well as why you are here. The two of you have been chosen to pilot this masterpiece of engineering against the Kaiju. Rest up boys, tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

As soon as they had been taken to their barracks, the doctor launched into another tirade. "You already found pilots? When? How long have you been keeping me in the dark? What else aren't you telling me Marshall?"

Pentecost wasn't even paying attention to the cough riddled exclamations of his associate; other matters had secured his attention for the time being. The Council was waiting.

* * *

"Hello Commander", began the figure on the screen.

The Marshall had spoken to him several times before, but it unnerved him even still. Bald, male, late forties? That's all he could discern about his caller. The spokesman for the Council kept his face in shadow throughout all of their "meetings". And that voice. A voice that was, at once, condescending as well as oddly soothing. "Like talking to my favorite chain-smoking uncle", thought Pentecost.

"In response to the Kaiju threat, this Council of Nations is prepared to seriously consider your "Jaeger" Project", he continued "However, it is imperative that some proof is presented of its effectiveness before any more funding can be sanctioned for what some member nations are calling "A child's toy-box fantasy". How soon can it be ready, Commander?"

"My rank is Marshall", came the reply, "And tell the member nations that taking the fight to the Kaiju is better than cowering behind a bloody wall. The Kaiju will get through eventually, and God help them when they do."

"The first Jaeger will be combat-ready within the week, just as promised. After that, it's merely a matter of time till we get the pilots up to speed and then I assure you, the next Kaiju to appear will be dealt with, without irradiating another city."

The man in the shadows was silent for a moment, before simply responding, "Good luck, Commander."

The screen turned off. As the lights turned back on, the Marshall smiled. Soon the opportunity would arise. And then humanity would have a fighting chance. Till then he would be waiting…


	3. Chapter 2: Breaking News

"This is Ritika Singbal, coming to you live from Juhu Beach", announced the pretty reporter pushing away the wind whipped hair from her face," We have just received word that another Kaiju has risen from the breach, and is being tracked by satellite. Its current path indicates that it will reach Mumbai in a matter of hours. It is estimated to make landfall by 4:00 am tonight. Residents are advised to evacuate the city in anticipation of another nuclear strike."

"Wait" she said, touching her earpiece. Her eyes widened in disbelief. The cameraman shuddered in reaction. "This just in, the Navy has clarified that they will not be opening fire on this Kaiju from their warships." she said into the camera. "I repeat, the Navy will **not **be firing on the incoming Kaiju. Has the military given up? What is to become of the city and its people? We will keep you updated for as long as we can.", she said as she carefully stepped into the waiting helicopter.

"What happens now?", Rajesh the underpaid cameraman asked to the now shaking reporter as the chopper took to the air. She had no answer. All she could do now was wait.

* * *

"Pilots!", yelled Marshall Pentecost over the radio," Engage the Jaeger-Pilot sync".

A technician jacked the data spikes into their skulls. They winced a bit, but it was over in a second. He said something that might have been "Good Luck", but the pilots were not entirely sure.

Dr Weir's voice then emerged from the headset, "Engaging electro-neuro fusion in 3…"

The brothers closed their eyes.

"2…"

They gritted their teeth.

"1…"

They knew it would hurt.

"Engage."

The charge hit them like a cricket bat to the back of the skull. Followed by an electric shock. For a moment they turned limp, but as the painkillers took hold, they regained their footing. They felt a sense of power, becoming something more than human.

"Link successful."

Applause rang out across the dome. But it was only half done.

"Disengaging external power", he said as the power cables fell away from the mighty Jaeger," Activating internal reactor."

As the Plutonic furnace in the massive chest roared to life, the lights on the Jaeger turned on one by one. And what a sight they illuminated.

A steel titan, standing almost a hundred metres tall at the head. The arms and legs themselves almost put every other engineering marvel in the past century to shame. The torso was the single largest metal body to ever be cast in Titanium. The reactor within held unprecedented energy reserves. The head that sat on the vast shoulders housed some of the most advanced technologies known to man. But all attention was focused on the left shoulder. And there it stood, fifty feet tall and radiant, dwarfing the head, the railgun. Half-ton projectiles fired at seven times the speed of sound. If this didn't penetrate Kaiju hide, nothing would.

All this in an attempt to drive off the alien menace.

Humanity's intelligence and tenacity had birthed an unparalleled war-machine. As it was rolled out on gigantic flat-beds, everyone could see that we finally stood a chance.

"Ready to go?" asked Amit, looking at his still dizzy brother.

"Yeah", came the reply," Let's go fishing".

"Pilots, your orders are to intercept the Kaiju code-named 'Gekko', make sure that it does not reach the coast at all costs." The Marshall was in form today. He had gambled all he had on this live test, and today was the day of vindication. Or so he hoped.

"Sir, yes, Sir!", came the reply in unison.

Suddenly, Dr Weir's voice came over the comm. "Bad news boys, The choppers are still being retro-fitted to carry you. That might take a while."

"We don't have a bloody while you buffoon!", Pentecost roared over his mike," I need those choppers here and NOW!"

During this exchange, Ajay and Amit were very aware of the stakes and decided to take matters into their own hands. They couldn't read each other's thoughts, that technology was still decades away. The beauty of it was that they didn't have to. It was their uncanny ability to always work in sync that had got them into this program in the first place. And they were about to make it count.

"This is Whiplash One to ground crews", said Ajay," Open the doors".

With a screech and a thunder-like rumble, the gates parted to reveal the open sea and the black sky. The rain lashed the floor and the Jaeger with its full fury. Everyone stood back, knowing what was about to happen.

"Alright, we do it one-two, just like in the simulators. Got it?"

A nod was all Whiplash Two needed to see.

"ONE!"

The pilots raised their right legs and brought it down in front of them. The Jaeger mimicked their movements, its massive foot rising several stories into the air and landing with a deafening crash on the beach in front of it. The pilots could feel the sand giving way under its great weight. The tremors were felt hundreds of metres away.

"TWO!"

The other giant foot moved ahead of the first one. This time it impacted the water's surface, supressing the sound of 2500 tons of metal meeting land. The Jeager mimicked every motion of its pilots, that was the real breakthrough of Dr. Weir's research.

"ONE!"…

It was going to be a long walk…

* * *

From the news-chopper, Ritika could see the ripples in the water. It made her nervous as she inserted the earpiece. "And we're rolling", said Rajesh.

"Ritika Singbal here to give an update on the latest Kaiju incursion. The Kaiju has been confirmed to be moving toward Mumbai, and may hit in as little as three hours but the Navy still refuses to engage. However reports are emerging that the military is preparing some sort of Kaiju counter-measure. We can only hope that it is as effective as we have been led to believe. If you are still within city limits, please move to an underground shelter as soon as possible. We will keep broadcasting as long as we can. Signing off."

"Aaand, that's a wrap", commented Rajesh as the camera went off.

* * *

The Kaiju was predicted to make land at 4:00 am. The pilots got there a few minutes early. Early enough to see its approach. Helicopters, both news and military, darted about in the air above. A massive wave hit the shins of the machine as the Kaiju rose up from the depths. It was something to behold.

A long, slender body hundreds of feet long with a tail that could level buildings. Claws that would rip bridges to shreds and teeth that made short work of many of man's proudest engineering achievements. It roared its intent to the world, rattling windows and smashing windscreens. It had a massive frill that opened up when it saw the Jaeger. A scare-tactic, no doubt. A pity it didn't work.

The pilots charged forward, driving their war-machine forward. In a few seconds, the gap had been closed. Ajay pulled back his fist, his brother did the same. The gigantic right fist of the Jaeger cocked back. Then they swung. Several hundred tons of metal propelled in an arc toward the Kaiju's face. Thunder erupted as Titanium fist impacted alien jaw. The Kaiju was caught off-guard and thrown backwards into the water, the force of impact shattering several bones.

But then, the Kaiju fought back.

It leapt out of the water toward the Jaeger, its powerful jaws snapping toward it. Amit quickly raised his arm, and the Kaiju clamped its massive jaws around the metal forearm of the Jaeger, it's serrated teeth piercing the armour and threatening to snap the arm in two. Both pilots felt the pain as alarms began to screech inside the cockpit. The Kaiju began raking the chest and head of the machine with its claws, the cockpit was nearly breached by the impact.

With a scream, Ajay cocked back his other fist and swung it toward the attacking alien. The Jaeger responded by unleashing a devastating punch aimed at the Kaiju's ribcage. The impact resonated wide as Ajay felt several ribs snap. The Kaiju roared in pain and let it's death grip go. This was followed by another massive punch to the jaw which sent the Kaiju reeling back into the depths from which it came.

The Kaiju began to swim away rapidly. It had chosen flight over fight it seemed.

"You ok?", said Ajay.

"I'm alright", came the reply" Lets finish this bastard off".

With that, the brothers stamped hard into the floor of the cockpit, bending their knees slightly as they did. The Jaeger's stance shifted to a lower one, as clamps deployed from the feet entrenching it into the soft sand, and the gigantic railgun turned parallel to the ground. The ominous hum and the arcing they could see from the cockpit told the pilots that it was working. A crosshairs centred on the retreating Kaiju as the countdown began.

"3… 2… 1…"

They held their breath.

"Fire!"

A bright streak erupted from the shoulder mounted weapon, and immediately after that, they heard the Kaiju roar one last time as it was struck down into the ocean. It took a second or two for them to process what had just happened.

"Is it over?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Then they remembered the choppers buzzing around outside. News choppers.

"What now?"

"Might as well soak it up a bit…"

With that, they unplugged themselves and climbed up the ladder at the back.

The two brothers then opened the hatch on the top of the head and climbed out, only to be met by literally dozens of helicopters with their searchlights trained on them. The light almost blinded them, but as they blinked the glare away, they became aware of a sound other than the helicopter engines. Rhythmic but at the same time chaotic. A soft percussion, but a very large number of them. Applause.

As they turned around, they could see it. Hundreds of people had come out of the shelters and were at the waters edge. And they cheered. Hoots and shouts filled the air as everyone rejoiced. That's when the pilots began to wave out. They were going to be famous.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Shatterdome, a thin smile crossed the Marshall's lips.


End file.
